Postdoctoral Associate - Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC)

Postdoc Aso

The appointee shall have received the doctorate in a field appropriate to the assigned duties and responsibilities.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is creating an environment that affirms community across all dimensions. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352-392-2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF .

The University of Florida (UF), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), invites applications for a postdoctoral research associate position at the Everglades Research and Education Center (EREC) in Belle Glade, Florida. The successful candidate will conduct research on disease management and germplasm evaluation in winter vegetable crops, with a focus on celery and lettuce.

The primary project will focus on managing celery early blight caused by Cercospora spp. Research objectives include identifying and evaluating locally sourced biological control agents through laboratory and greenhouse studies and developing effective fungicide spray programs informed by drone-based disease monitoring and artificial intelligence (AI). Activities will include laboratory assays to assess fungicide sensitivity and field trials to evaluate biological control agents, fungicide efficacy, and application timing. Field trials will be conducted at EREC and in commercial growers’ fields.

The associate will also screen lettuce germplasm for disease resistance and tolerance to abiotic stresses, incorporating drone-based phenotyping to assess plant responses. Additional research may include identifying and characterizing emerging diseases and their causal agents in winter vegetable crops. Research activities will include microbial isolation and culture maintenance, pathogenicity testing, DNA extraction, PCR amplification, sequencing, sequence analysis, and construction of phylogenetic trees.

Additional responsibilities include assisting with grant proposal development, preparing peer-reviewed manuscripts, mentoring students, and coordinating daily research activities. The associate will collaborate with growers and contribute to Extension activities, including field days and communicating research findings to stakeholders.

The successful candidate must possess or obtain an appropriate pesticide applicator license and be able to conduct outdoor fieldwork under hot and humid conditions.

This is a grant-funded, time-limited position, with funding available for up to one year.  Please contact Dr. Katia  Viana Xavier (kvianaxavier@ufl.edu) for any questions about this position.

The University of Florida is a Land-Grant, Sea-Grant, and Space-Grant institution, encompassing virtually all academic and professional disciplines, with an enrollment of more than 56,000 students.  UF is a member of The Association of American Universities.  The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences includes the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the College of Veterinary Medicine, the Florida Sea Grant program, and encompasses 16 on-campus academic departments and schools, 12 Research and Educational Centers (REC) located throughout the state, 6 Research sites/demonstration units administered by RECs or academic departments, and Florida Cooperative Extension Service offices in all 67 counties (counties operate and maintain). The School of Natural Resources and Environment is an interdisciplinary unit housed in IFAS and managed by several colleges on campus.  UF/IFAS employs nearly 4,500 people, which includes approximately 990 salaried faculty and 1,400 permanent support personnel located in Gainesville and throughout the state. IFAS, one of the nation’s largest agricultural and natural resources research and education organizations, is administered by a Vice President and four deans: the Dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the Dean for Extension and Director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, the Dean for Research and Director of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and the Dean for the College of Veterinary Medicine.  UF/IFAS also engages in cooperative work with Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.  

Commensurate with Education and Experience  

• Proficiency in statistical analysis using R, Python, or similar software.
• Experience processing and analyzing drone imagery using Agisoft Metashape, PIX4D, QGIS, or similar software.
• Possession of a drone pilot license.
• Experience in grant writing and publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to mentor students and coordinate research activities.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date. 

• Individuals wishing to apply should go online to Careers at UF and submit:
  Cover letter that states applicant’s interest in the position and qualifications relative to the credentials listed above
• Curriculum vitae
• Contact information (including email addresses) for 3 individuals willing to write letters of recommendation